Community Corner

Midweek Storm to Bring Strong Winds, Possible Snow

Massachusetts bracing for another storm with effects from Sandy still being felt.

Massachusetts is in store for more wild weather this week as a Nor'easter heads our way today and into Thursday morning.

According to WHDH meteorologist Chris Lambert, the area can expect to see the storm hit between 2 and 4 p.m.

"What I've noticed over the last few model runs is a track farther east," Lambert said on his blog."If that's the case, our wind stays more out of the NNE rather than going east, and that means colder weather gets locked in.  It also means that dew point levels stay low. That's important because with dew points running near 20 and actual air temperatures tomorrow afternoon running near 40-45, a process called evaporative cooling can occur which allows rain to turn to snow. What happens is, the precip starts as rain, but as some of those rain drops evaporate into water vapor, the dew points go up, and the temp goes down.  A spread of a dew point of 20 and temp of 45, likely meets in the lower to mid 30s when precip becomes heavy enough, and that changes rain to snow.

Find out what's happening in Lynnfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Towns near Interstate 495 could actually see an inch of snow accumulate.

The Nor'easter is expected to hit the Northeast from Cape Cod down to New York City, which was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy last week. This incoming storm's winds are expecting to be even more damaging as many trees, limbs and structures have already been weakened by last week's superstorm.

Find out what's happening in Lynnfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

NSTAR says it's ready for this storm.

"As the region braces for (today’s) Nor’easter, NSTAR is prepared to safely and quickly respond to possible wind damage and related power outages across its service area," said spokesman Mike Durand. "The company continues to monitor weather forecasts and will mobilize its workforce as soon as it becomes necessary. NSTAR crews that had been working in Connecticut to help restore power to customers of its sister utility Connecticut Light & Power are returning home today, prior to the arrival of the impending severe weather."

National Grid is anticipating more power outages this week due to the Nor'easter and has already started preparations. 

"While this storm is not expected to be of the magnitude we experienced during Hurricane Sandy, it still could cause damage to our system in New England," said Kathy Lyford, vice president of Electric Operations in New England. "We are developing plans so that we are ready to respond to service interruptions, but we also want out customers to be aware, monitor the weather and take precautions so that they remain safe during the storm."

Forecasters at The Weather Channel are also predicting coastal flooding with the Nor'easter in some areas. Unlike during Hurricane Sandy, the flooding will not coincide with astronomical high tides.

Related Topics: Nor'easter

 


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